Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) has announced that Matt Hagan has signed a multi-year extension to continue driving the Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
A native of Christiansburg, Virginia, Hagan is a four-time NHRA Funny Car champion (2011, 2014, 2020 and 2023). The cattle rancher has recorded 53 NHRA national event wins in his legendary career and is currently second in the Funny Car championship standings.
Hagan first competed in Funny Car back in 2008, running in four events and qualifying No. 1 at the prestigious U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Shining in his limited schedule, Hagan earned a fulltime ride in 2009. With his rookie season behind him, Hagan broke out in 2010, winning the NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston to collect the first of his 53 career Funny Car victories. Hagan’s Funny Car prowess was a continuation of his straight-line racing form. He was the 2006 rookie of the year in the NHRA AMS Pro Mod Challenge, and as a driver/owner he continued that success in the IHRA’s Funny Car division, winning a class-best three races in 2008.
“Being able to extend my contract with Tony Stewart Racing is huge,” said Matt Hagan. “It’s one of the best teams to drive for in the NHRA. Tony (Stewart) is a great boss. I think it’s important to find a good group and lock it down and be able to build upon that. Tony makes sure we have all the parts and pieces to be able to do all we need to. It’s exciting to sign a multi-year contract so we can continue to build on what we have with Dodge. I’ve been with them for close to 20 years and it shows what a great relationship we have with them. We’ve been able to grow their brand and grow my career. I’m excited and humbled about it and looking forward to seeing what the future brings.”
Hagan is currently in his 18th year driving a Dodge//SRT car, with the Dodge brand having a long history of competing in and supporting motorsports. A large portion of their focus has been helping to deliver products like the Dodge Demon, 1320 and Super Stock. In addition, Direct Connection serves as the source for high-performance parts and technical expertise straight from the factory.
“Four-time NHRA World Champion Matt Hagan is the ultimate Dodge Badassador,” said Matt McAlear, Dodge CEO. “Matt has captured all four of his championships and all of his 53 NHRA career victories behind the wheel of a Dodge Funny Car and has helped grow the Dodge and Mopar drag racing program for nearly two decades. With the announcement of his contract extension with our amazing partners at Tony Stewart Racing, we look forward to cheering on Matt in his TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car for many more years to come.”
Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage (JHG) and American Rebel Light Beer will continue to partner with TSR. The Tennessee-based JHG highlights its world-class car collection on the Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car of four-time champion Matt Hagan. JHG was formed in 2021 and brings a passion and flare to the automotive realm. They aim to inspire, drive and celebrate progress. JHG spans across Jason Johnson’s car collection featuring more than 200 sought after vehicles from classics to hot rods and supercars.
“I’m happy to continue partnering with TSR and Matt Hagan,” said Jason Johnson, Owner and President, Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage. “Together, we’ve achieved success on and off the track. The Tony Stewart Racing team has produced excitement in the drag racing world we all love and I’m glad JHG can be a part of it.”
American Rebel Beer was founded in April of 2024 by American Rebel CEO Andy Ross. American Rebel Beer is All Natural, Crisp, Clean and has a Bold Taste with a Lighter Feel. It does not use corn, rice or other sweeteners typically found in other mass-produced beers. American Rebel Beer is currently offered in 14 states (Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia), with additional states being announced soon. You can also find American Rebel in various legendary bars like Kid Rock’s, Tootsies, Honky Tony Central, and many others in the entertainment district in Nashville, as well as retail outlets, venues and music festivals throughout the United States. American Rebel Beer is America’s Patriotic, God-Fearing, Constitution-Loving, National Anthem Singing, Stand Your Ground Beer.
“We came into drag racing with Matt two years ago and have been thrilled with the return on investment; we can’t wait to see what the future holds in 2026 and beyond,” said Andy Ross, CEO, American Rebel Holdings, Inc. “We’re really excited about the direction of our American Rebel Light Beer and the partnership with Matt, Tony and TSR has further validated our brand and opened doors to multiple new markets.”
Hagan will remain with current crew chiefs Mike Knudsen and Phil Shuler. The 2025 season marks the first year as crew chief for Knudsen. He was previously Hagan’s co-crew chief and has been with Hagan since 2013, having made the move to TSR from Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) in 2022. Shuler joined TSR in 2025 and has a notable background in the NHRA, having worked for Maynard Family Racing, for Don Prudhomme, DSR, and Spencer Massey.
“Mike and Phil are amazing,” added Hagan. “They have worked together for a long time and have great chemistry. There’s not a lot of second-guessing each other and they feed off each other. It’s been neat watching them work together. They’ve been putting a great race car underneath us this season. It was awesome to get our first win of the 2025 season in Seattle together.”
Tony Stewart Racing has earned 19 wins since the team’s inception in 2022. Hagan brought home 14 of those victories, as well as TSR’s first Funny Car championship in 2023, which marked the fourth of his career.
“I’m really excited and I think the world of Matt and his team,” said team owner Tony Stewart. “I’m glad to have someone driving for us that feels like a family member at this point, not just a teammate and friend. Signing this extension is great for our program. The relationship that Matt and Leah (Pruett) have with Dodge is very deep. Dodge intended for us to have a long relationship together when we started this team, so we really appreciate their partnership.”
The next event on the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule is the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, August 14-17 at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota.
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